Ingham was a descendant of a man who went to Ireland as an officer in Cromwell"s army (hence his middle name). He was born in Dublin in 1796 or 1797, studying art from 1809 to 1813 at The Dublin Institution with William Cuming before immigrating to the United States in 1816 or 1817.
Settling in New York City, he distinguished himself by his oil painting, but also in watercolor on ivory, a standard medium for miniature portraits since the 18th century. Later founding the National Academy of Design, he would serve as its vice president for a number of years until his death in New York on 10 December 1863, at the age of 67.
